Welcome to the world of Robert Crumb, where the boundaries of art and expression blur into a provocative tapestry of imagery and words. Robert Crumb, often hailed as the father of underground comix, is a legendary figure in the realm of alternative comics. His work spans decades and encompasses a diverse range of themes, from social commentary and satire to personal introspection and exploration of the human psyche. With his distinctive style and unapologetic approach, Crumb has left an indelible mark on the world of comics and popular culture.
Through his iconic characters such as Fritz the Cat, Mr. Natural, and Devil Girl, Crumb has challenged societal norms and conventions, fearlessly delving into taboo subjects with wit, humor, and sometimes unsettling honesty. His artistry extends beyond the confines of the comic book page, as Crumb’s illustrations and writings have inspired and influenced generations of artists, writers, and thinkers. Join us as we delve into the profound and often irreverent world of Robert Crumb, exploring his thoughts, insights, and reflections through a curated collection of quotes. Here, you’ll find a glimpse into the mind of a true visionary, a maverick whose words continue to resonate and captivate.
There’s many heroic underappreciated investigative journalists. Robert Crumb
If you’re trying to work the art game, if you’re like Andy Warhol or something, then you’re in with cake-eaters of society. You want to get in with them and please them and get their money. Robert Crumb
Yeah, I was a child of American popular culture. Robert Crumb
We were always drawing comics as kids. My brother Charles made me draw comics. I was very much under his domination. He was actually a much stronger artistic visionary than I was. Robert Crumb
I was raised Catholic and I went to church until I was 16. I went through a phase when I was 15 of being quite fanatically Catholic. I was going to church a lot, receiving communion, saying the Rosary, praying, all that stuff. But when I started scrutinizing it, it just fell apart so quickly. Robert Crumb
I guess I didn’t enjoy drawing very much. It was like homework. Robert Crumb
Pictures have a lot more power than text. Text is just a bunch of little symbols. You have to actually read it and imagine it, and even that can be censored. With pictures, it’s a lot more immediate. Robert Crumb
The French hold onto their traditions. I was always so alienated in America. My work was this constant reaction to that. Robert Crumb
When I come up against the real world, I just vacillate. Robert Crumb
You must thank the gods for art, those of us who have been fortunate enough to stumble onto this means of venting our craziness, our meanness, our towering disgust. Robert Crumb
The fine-art world knows very little about the cartoon world. Robert Crumb
Oh, yes. I knew I was weird by the time I was four. I knew I wasn’t like other boys. I knew I was more fearful. I didn’t like the rough and tumble most boys were into. I knew I was a sissy. Robert Crumb
I’m just a negative person, a deeply negative person. I see the worst aspects of everything. Robert Crumb
Everything that is strong in me has gone into my art work. Robert Crumb
Most of my adult life I had this towering contempt for America. Robert Crumb
The only burning passion I’m sure I have, is the passion for sex. Robert Crumb
You don’t have to be a Fundamentalist Christian to be interested in the Bible. It’s really a fascinating mythology. Robert Crumb
I do covers for CDs and LPs of music that I like, reissues of old-time music, and then I’m inspired to make some kind of drawing based on this love of the music. I don’t do album covers or CD covers for groups or musicians I don’t like or have no interest in. Robert Crumb
I’m into old-time music; I’m not very interested in modern, popular music at all. And if I’m really into some particular old-time musician, some fiddler or banjo player, I’m always dying of curiosity to see what they look like. So there’s some connection between visual images and music. Robert Crumb
When I go back to America, after a few days I am once again filled with this kind of angry alienation and disgust with this thing there that America has got – you have no idea how pervasive it is there. The public relations and propaganda put out by the corporate mono-culture there is so pervasive. Robert Crumb
I oughta be rich. But, you know, if you don’t spend all your time looking after money, somebody else will. The guys who look after money, they’re the ones who get the money. Robert Crumb
I knew I was weird by the time I was four. I knew I wasn’t like other boys. I knew I was more fearful. I didn’t like the rough and tumble most boys were into. I knew I was a sissy. Robert Crumb
I felt so painfully isolated that I vowed I would get revenge on the world by becoming a famous cartoonist. Robert Crumb
I would call myself a Gnostic. Which means, I’m interested in pursuing and understanding the spiritual nature of things. A Gnostic is somebody seeking knowledge of that aspect of reality. Robert Crumb
Violence begets violence, and then you get leaders who are violent men. And you don’t want that. Robert Crumb
People still make me nervous, but gradually over the years I’ve developed kind of like a public personality, so I can talk. I have my spiel, I have my stories. Robert Crumb
I have always had an abiding interest in that type of female anatomy. Robert Crumb
Killing yourself is a major commitment, it takes a kind of courage. Most people just lead lives of cowardly desperation. It’s kinda half suicide where you just dull yourself with substances. Robert Crumb
The Bible was not written for entertainment purposes, so it’s a real hodgepodge and a compendium of all kinds of stuff. Robert Crumb
When people say ‘What are underground comics?’ I think the best way you can define them is just the absolute freedom involved… we didn’t have anyone standing over us. Robert Crumb
The work itself is what motivates me. I like my own stuff, you know? I like the way it looks. I do it to please myself first. Robert Crumb
The comics are where all the crazy subconscious stuff comes out. Robert Crumb
I use the old Strathmore vellum surface paper, which is the best paper you can get in the Western world for ink line drawing. It has a good, hard surface. Robert Crumb
With comics, you’ve got to develop some kind of shorthand. You can’t make every drawing look like a detailed etching. The average reader actually doesn’t want all that detail; it interferes with the flow of the reading process. Robert Crumb
Some things I won’t do for any amount of money. Like for instance, there’s a couple of CEOs of very large corporations that offered me lots of money to do special pictures for them. And I just refused to do that. Even if it was a million dollars I wouldn’t do it. Robert Crumb
In the fall of 1968, I became attractive to women. One day I was an ignored schlub in the street, then suddenly all these good-looking women were interested in me. Robert Crumb
I always had a sketchbook with me when I was young. I was hiding behind it, basically, hiding behind drawing because I couldn’t cope with people in real life; I was very shy and very nervous around people. Robert Crumb
You can’t make everybody love you. It’s an exercise in futility, and it’s probably not even a good idea to try. Robert Crumb
I moved further and further away from mass entertainment. The sexual element became increasingly sinister and bizarre. Don’t blame me! The bastards drove me to it! They all backed off after that! Robert Crumb
Throwaway pens are no good – I never liked them. I’ve tried them all. Robert Crumb
When I was younger, I just lived my life on paper. I didn’t really live in the real world very much. As a consequence, I couldn’t cope with the real world and real people very well. That in itself became life threatening, so I had to stop drawing so much and learn how to cope with people. Robert Crumb
In my midteens I went through a brief stage of religious fanaticism, but it was very much about just saying prayers and stuff like that, reciting rosaries and spending a lot of time on that kind of Catholic ritual. Robert Crumb
